NJ: Signal issue on portal bridge leads to long delays for NJ Transit trains in and out of N.Y.

May 7, 2025

A signal issue at the Amtrak Portal Bridge has caused up to 30-minute delays for NJ Transit trains in and out of Penn Station New York on Monday night, officials said.

By Chris Sheldon

Source nj.com (TNS)

A signal issue at the Amtrak Portal Bridge has caused up to 30-minute delays for NJ Transit trains in and out of Penn Station New York on Monday night, officials said.

Trains were delayed as long as hour when the issue first began around 5 p.m.

Midtown Direct trains are being diverted to Hoboken, NJ Transit said in a tweet.

Rail tickets and passes are being crossed-honored by NJ Transit and private carrier buses and PATH at Newark Penn, Hoboken and 33rd Street, New York, the agency said.

Customers can visit http://njtransit.com/ABC for alternate service information.

The Amtrak Portal Bridge is 114-year-old moveable bridge that swings open to allow marine traffic to pass and to be tested.

Periodically, it fails to close properly, meaning that the tracks don’t line up or the signals that regulate train traffic aren’t working properly. This evening, the signals are causing the problem, leading to train delays.

The bridge carries the crucial Northeast Corridor line over the Hackensack River in Kearny.

A $2.3 billion replacement bridge is under construction and is 90% complete.

Plans call for the new bridge to have one track opened in November 2026 and the entire bridge to be in service in 2027.

Reporter Larry Higgs contributed to this report.